ISTANBUL, Turkey, June 29 (NNN-ANADOLU) – Istanbul’s new mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, said that, traffic and transportation, urban poverty and refugees are among his top priorities that require urgent solutions.
At a press conference with foreign media outlets, Imamoglu pledged to work hard, to solve these problems, open to all kinds of cooperation, home and abroad.
Describing the traffic and transportation problem in the largest city of Turkey as “very acute and real,” he said, he would urgently deal with it.
He promised to take a series of measures to contribute to the households’ budgets, in efforts to curb rising poverty because of deteriorating economic conditions and high living costs.
Imamoglu called on other municipalities to show solidarity by offering discounts to their residents.
The new mayor also pledged a comprehensive solution, to the issue of Syrian refugees, whose number has long exceeded 500,000 in Istanbul.
He will prioritise a “national policy” on refugees, with a view to protecting and supporting women and children.
“The refugee issue was mismanaged in Turkey,” he said, blaming other countries for remaining silent on the “tragedy” in Syria and its environs.
“I am determined to carry this issue all over the world, drawing their attention and urging them to cooperate and show solidarity against the human tragedy there, rather than focusing on the oil of Syria,” Imamoglu remarked.
“At the end of the day, it is the duty of the world countries to build democracy and peace in those lands, as much as possible,” he said, adding, he would be open to all kinds of cooperation, to create opportunities for a safe return of the refugees to their hometowns.
Imamoglu, candidate of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party, was certified as the mayor of Istanbul the previous day, after he won the mayoral election held on June 23, by a clear margin.
He won the Istanbul mayoral in local elections held on March 31, by a slim margin, and served as the mayor for fewer than one month, before he was disqualified by Turkey’s top election board on May 6, as it annulled the result and called for a new election on June 23, over claims of irregularities by the ruling party.– NNN-ANADOLU
